Timing device for timing switches



4, 1964 F. M. VAN DOREN ETAL 3,120,586

TIMING DEVICE FOR TIMING SWITCHES Filed March 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS FRED M. VA/V DURE/V GEORGE A. VAN DORE/V JR. Fig. 2 BY ATTOR Y Filed March 9, 1962 1954 F. M. VAN DOREN ETAL 3,120,536

TIMING DEVICE FOR TIMING SWITCHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRED M. VA/V DORE'N Fig 6 GEORGE A. VAN DORE/V JR.

United States Patent 3,12il,586 TIMING DEVICE FOR TIMING SWITCHES Fred M. Van Doren, Edina, and George A. Van Doren,

.lr., St. Louis Park, Minn. Filed Mar. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 178,710 Claims. (Cl. 200--35) The present invention relates generally to an improved control mechanism, and more particularly to a timing device which is adapted to provide a moderately accurate timing control of electrically activated apparatus. The timer control mechanism of the present invention is particularly adapted to use in conjunction with coin opated vending machines.

In the vending machines in use at the present time, various control mechanisms are utilized for maintaining the time cycle substantially constant. These apparatus generally employ complex electrical control networks which normally include a plurality of relays, complex electric timing systems or the like. When malfunctions occur, repair is exceedingly difficult and is only accomplished after substantial delays have been incurred. It has been found that in accordance with the present invention, the number of components has been substantially lessened and hence the probability of errors, malfunctions or the like is correspondingly diminished. The reduction in number of components likewise reduces the area or volume requirements of the system, and hence the system provides advantages in size reduction.

The apparatus of the present invention includes timing mechanism having a motor with a subsatntial running inertia in operative relationship with a slotted surface. A coin actuated lever, the lever being adapted for reciprocatory up and down motion, is operatively connected to a control switch, the vertical disposition of the lever arm being a function of the presence of a coin, the disposition of the slotted surface, or a combination of these. The system provides operation with a minimum component requirement, as well as an extremely reliable and rugged unit. Aside from these components, as listed hereinabove, the only essentials are a suitable coin selecting apparatus which, of course, would be a requirement of any coin operated vending machine.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved timing or sequence control system which is particularly adapted for use in coin operated vending machines.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved timing control system which is moderately accurate in its timing, and which is extremely rugged, durable, and easily serviced, when necessary.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an improved coin operated vending machine time control system which is provided with an inertia motor adapted to drive a surface which is provided with a plurality of slots disposed therealong, the relative disposition of the slots providing control for the timing sequence.

These and further objects of the present invention may be more completely understood by those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification, appended claims and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a timing control mechanism prepared in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front plan view of the device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2; and,

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are partial side views of the apparatus and showing the disposition of the components in various 3,120,586 Patented Feb. 4, 1964 phases of operation, and showing the position of the coin during certain phases of the operating cycle.

In accordance with the preferred modification of the present invention, the coin operated time cycle control apparatus generally designated 10 includes a coin selecting portion 11 which is provided with a coin receiving slot 12, a rejection coin return slot 13, the rejection being accomplished by means of a suitable permanent magnet within the interior of the coin selector, the magnet not being shown. For rejecting coins which are not capable of being deflected by the magnet, a suitable heavy coin rejection arm is provided at 14, the coins being rejected in this manner then being transferred through rejection slot 15. Acceptable coins are adapted to fall along the path provided as at 16, and will, when so received, reside at least temporarily in the position for the coin 17 in FIG. 4.

Turning now to the timing sequence mechanism, such as is illustrated generally at 20, this portion of the apparatus includes a base plate 21 which is adapted to provide a mounting surface for the motor 22, the motor 22 havin a substantial amount of running inertia. The drive shaft 24 from the motor 22 is received within the driving sleeve 25 and secured thereto by means of a set screw or the like. The slotted disk 26 is secured to the sleeve 25 and is adapted to rotate therewith, suitable attaching means such as a screw or the like being provided. The control cycle is achieved by means of the plunger actuated switch 28, the switch being for most purposes, a normally opened switch which is closed upon actuation of the plunger 29. Actuating lever 30 is adapted to provide the means for actuating the plunger 29, arm 30 having a lateral extending portion 30A which is arranged to both intercept the accepted coins and is further adapted to move reciprocally through the slots provided in the wheel or disk 26.

Electrical control is achieved along the circuit which includes the leads 32, the power for the motor 22 being controlled by the closed sequence of switch 28, leads 33 being utilized in connection with leads 32 in order that motor 22 may be actuated whenever switch 28 is closed. In this connection, lead 32A may be electrically connected to lead 33A, lead 33B being connected to ground at a remote location.

.In operation, a coin is inserted at 12 such as the coin 17, and travels through the coin receiving mechanism 11 and ultimately to the position shown at FIG. 4. The arm portion 343A then rides against the top surface of the disk 26, the weight of the coin 17 being sufiicient to overcome the spring tension provided .by plunger 29 to urge actuating arm 39 in its normal upper arcuate position. The actuating arm 30 is moved about the pivot point 303 and actuating plunger 29 is depressed sufficiently to close the normally opened contacts of the switch member 28. Motor 22 is actuated and the disk 26 commences to rotate about its axis as shown at shaft 24. Upon reaching a point of sufiioient arcuate rotation as shown at FIG. 5, the arm 39A is moved through the slot 37 thereby permitting coin 17 to fall away from the mechanism and into a coin collecting box, not shown. Since the actuating plunger 29 is still in depressed position, the motor 22 continues to operate and the spring bias provided plunger 29 moves the lever 30 in a reciprocating upward direction and against the lower surface of the disk 26. The disk 26 continues to move in its arcuate direction until the slot 33 reaches the position of the transverse arm 30A. At this point, the lateral arm portion 30A passes arcuately upwardly through slot 33 and re-assumes the position of the arm 30 as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3. -T he running inertia of motor 22 carries the disk 26 arcuately about shaft 24 a short distance after the arm 301A has passed through slot 38 and substantially simultaneously there- 3 with opened switch 28 and deactivated motor 22. It will be observed, therefore, that the cycle of operation may be timed by the arcuate distance between the pairs of slots, the first slot being utilized to carry the arm portion 30A )arcu'ately downwardly the-rethrough, the next succeeding slot being utilized 'to permit transfer of the arm portion 30A arcuately upwardly therethrougn. Thus, for example, in a system wherein the motor 22 is 1 rpm. motor a disk such as the disk 26 provides a total of 24 individual slots or 12 pairs of slots. The timing sequence for an individual cycle will therefore be 5 seconds. A 4-inch disk has been found to provide sufficient displacement between individual slots for operation with a 1 rpm. motor.

It will be appreciated that other forms of disks or even continuous belts may be utilized. In order to permit the use of a smaller diameter disk, one which would also be capable of operating at higher arcuate speed, alternate pairs of tabs such as the tabs 26A and 26B may be tilted axially upwardly and axially downwardly, respectively. In this regard, it has been found that a 2 inch disk may be provided with 2 slots, in diametrically opposed position, and rotated at a speed of, for example, 12 rpm. and thus provide the 5 second cycle. It will be appreciated that other speeds may be utilized to get other slot configurations in order to provide the system with the desired timing cycle.

[T he motor 22 has been indicated as having a substantial running inertia. An ordinary synchronous motor such as synchronous motor sold by Hansen Manufacturing (10., of Princeton, Indiana, and identified by their code name Synchron has been found to have a suitable amount of running inertia. it is believed that this running inertia is common for substantially all small synchrono-us motors of this type and hence the particular motor utilized is not a critical feature of the system. It will be appreciated that means other than the weight of a coin may be utilized to hold lever arm 30A against the disk 26, and hence the system is accordingly adaptable for use in connection with other types of operating mechanisms.

It will be appreciated that the running inertia of the motor will carry the disk 26 to a certain predetermined point whereby the return slot such as the slot 3% has moved 'arouately beyond the return position of arm 30A. Thus, it is possible to provide a substantially constant timing cycle from one succeeding cycle to another inasmuch as the running inertia will carry the disk 26 to a substantially constant advance position beyond the return slot. While a constantly rotating disk could be utilized, the accuracy of the individual running cycles will be more uniform if an intermittently operated unit is employed. I

Assuming that an intermittently operated disk is employed, and assuming further that a normally closed sequence is desired, a switch 28 should be employed having a pair of operated contacts, one of which is normally closed, the other of which is normally opened. The normally opened contacts will be utilized to actuate motor 22 while the normally closed contacts would be the controlled contacts. A plurality of stacked disks may also be utilized for multiple actuation of a plurality of switches. Varying time periods may be accordingly controlled from a single motor source. For example, a separate disk may be utilized for a separate denomination of coin, the time period of actuation being adjusted in accordance with the value of the selected coin.

It will be further appreciated that the apparatus illustrated in connection with the apparatus of the present invention is shown for purposes of illustration only and it will be understood that various other modifications may be prepared by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

We claim:

1. Control means for actuating electrical equipment for a predetermined time cycle comprising electrical switch means including contacts having a normal position, an actuating arm mounted for reciprocating up and down motion for moving said electrical contacts from said normal position, a timing surface having a plurality of paired slots therethrough, motor means having a rotor for moving said timing surface relative to said actuating arm, said motor means having substantial running inertia and being energized through said electrical contacts, means for periodically urging said actuating arm from a normal position into a second position in contact with said surface and while in said second position, said contacts are actuated and said motor is energized, means for moving said arm through a first slot of a certain group of paired slots in said timing surface, and means for reciprocally returning said arm through the next succeeding slot of said paired slots and to said normal position thereby deactivating said contacts.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said contacts are normally closed.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 being particularly' characterized in that said return means is the force urging said switch means into its normal position.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that coin receiving means are disposed in operative relationship with said control means, and are arranged to deliver a coin into operative position against said actuating arm, the weight of said coin moving said actuating arm downwardly.

-5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said paired slots are disposed in spaced relationship adjacent alternately upwardly and downwardly tilted tabs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 664,343 Wheeler Dec. 18, 1900 2,538,358 Farrell Jan. 16, 1951 2,990,930 Melvin July 4, 1961 3,034,627 Nichols May 15, 1962 

1. CONTROL MEANS FOR ACTUATING ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT FOR A PREDETERMINED TIME CYCLE COMPRISING ELECTRICAL SWITCH MEANS INCLUDING CONTACTS HAVING A NORMAL POSITION, AN ACTUATING ARM MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCATING UP AND DOWN MOTION FOR MOVING SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACTS FROM SAID NORMAL POSITION, A TIMING SURFACE HAVING A PLURALITY OF PAIRED SLOTS THERETHROUGH, MOTOR MEANS HAVING A ROTOR FOR MOVING SAID TIMING SURFACE RELATIVE TO SAID ACTUATING ARM, SAID MOTOR MEANS HAVING SUBSTANTIAL RUNNING INERTIA AND BEING ENERGIZED THROUGH SAID ELECTRICAL CONTACTS, MEANS FOR PERIODICALLY URGING SAID ACTUATING ARM FROM A NORMAL POSITION INTO A SECOND POSITION IN CONTACT WITH SAID SURFACE AND WHILE IN SAID SECOND POSITION, SAID CONTACTS ARE ACTUATED AND SAID MOTOR IS ENERGIZED, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID ARM THROUGH A FIRST SLOT OF A CERTAIN GROUP OF PAIRED SLOTS IN SAID TIMING SURFACE, AND MEANS FOR RECIPROCALLY RETURNING SAID ARM THROUGH THE NEXT SUCCEEDING SLOT OF SAID PAIRED SLOTS AND TO SAID NORMAL POSITION THEREBY DEACTIVATING SAID CONTACTS. 